Up Our Street

I doubt many people remember Up Our Street. In fact I'd bet my bottom thrupenny bit that fewer than a handful do. But that's the ephemeral beauty of the past - not everything has to be remembered.

More often than not, it's for good reason: appalling levels of quality. Sometimes, though, things simply fail to make an impact. That's not necessarily a slight on their quality; they just lack that certain something to stand out when we look back decades later.

When it comes to television, Curious British Telly has always thrived on unearthing forgotten nuggets and breathing life back into them, if only for a few fleeting moments. It's an exercise that's very much up our street. Just like Up Our Street.

I can't remember exactly when I first stumbled across Up Our Street, it was either when I was researching Fred Harris - for the finest article ever published on Curious British Telly - or during the marathon writing session which became 159 British Children's TV Shows From the 1980s You Forgot About, where I first mentioned Up Our Street. Either way, it was certainly decades after Up Our Street aired.

Up Our Street comprised two series, both airing on Children’s BBC in 1985, with a repeat run in 1986. It featured a collection of self-contained stories with a comedic bent. Some were based on existing literature - such as Simon and the Witch and Nonstop Nonsense - while others, like Jimmy’s Story by Nick Wilton, were written especially for the series. And yes, you read that right: this is where the first television adaptation of Simon and the Witch originated. Exciting? Oh, absolutely!

If this wasn't enough to pique my interest, when I discovered that Fred Harris appeared in an episode I was more than intrigued. Better yet, old Fred was only appearing in Strange Events in the Life of the Delmonico Family from Nonstop Nonsense, one of my favourite childhood books. I simply had to watch this dream combination. But it wasn't available to watch anywhere. Neither was the Simon and the Witch episode which, to heighten the intrigue, also featured the first ever TV appearance of Scragtag.

One solitary episode, however, was online, so I could at least get a flavour for it. Jimmy's Story is a bright, breezy tale brimming with Nick Wilton's comedic flourishes, brought to life magnificently by Desmond Askew and Joanna Monro. Like all the Up Our Street episodes, it runs for 15 minutes as Jimmy and his mum fighting to tell a story involving a stray dog and a cat burglar - a recipe for hijinks and disaster. It's not iconic television by any means, but it scratches a nostalgic itch for a less frenetic era of children's programming. 

But I had to watch more of Up Our Street to get a better understanding of how it operated and where it stood. And Simon and the Witch and Strange Events in the Life of the Delmonico Family were irritatingly tempting, but far out of reach - the BFI didn't hold copies and it was highly unlikely any episodes would turn up on YouTube before the century was out. And then, one day, thanks to some backscratching, I was able to.

The full series of Simon and the Witch is rightly heralded as a classic of children's television with its scripts, cast, performances and production scoring very high marks. So, how did Up Our Street tackle Margaret Stuart Barry's beloved classic?

Well, the performances from Desmond Askew and Joanna Monro are very, very strong. And the story's fun, looking at the chaos caused when Simon transforms the school caretaker into a frog. But, even at just 15 minutes long, it feels a little stretched out. Coupled with the rather makeshift sets, it fails to make its mark. And while Scragtag is there - several weeks before he made his debut in T.T.V - he doesn't have a speaking role, simply mewing away without his trademark sass. Nonetheless, it's an enjoyable watch and acts as a fascinating contrast to the later, more accomplished Simon and the Witch.

Strange Events in the Life of the Delmonico Family is only five pages long - including Quentin Blake's illustrations - in Nonstop Nonsense and can be read in a few minutes. In Up Our Street, however, it stretches to fifteen minutes. Does this leave it struggling to fill the time? Thankfully, no.

The story builds on the quirky universe of Nonstop Nonsense, a world in where you might casually bump into a word witch in the supermarket. It's also an environment where the pompousness of Mr Delmonico, played with comedic delight by Nick Wilton, can land you in a world of trouble when you offend said witch. Central to the episode, of course, is the performance of Fred Harris, playing a word wizard determined to teach Mr Delmonico a lesson. Harris, as always, delivers a rich, engaging performance and it's a pleasure to watch him in full flow. The episode flys by and you're left wanting to spend more time with these characters. A true success.

So, Up Our Street, what did I think of it? Sure, it's not legendary, but there's nothing in Up Our Street which grates or disappoints. As a collection of quickfire bursts of wit and performance, it's certainly effective in grabbing your attention. I'd be thrilled to watch a few more episodes, and I suppose that's as good a sign as any that it is worth remembering.

If, by some small miracle, you remember watching Up Our Street, then please leave a comment below as I'd love to hear your memories of it. And if you've got any episodes on an old video tape, please send me an email.